India, Feb. 9 -- This incident dates back to 2013, when Arvind Kejriwal came to the Dainik Hindustan office and told a senior colleague that the newspaper's coverage of the Lokpal Movement, which was of "critical importance", was lukewarm.

He expressed a desire to interact with our editorial staff and hold elaborate consultations on Lokpal, corruption, and the right to information. I liked the idea. He was with us and our colleagues at the Hindustan Times Building a few days later.

Those were the days in Kejriwal's public journey when he wasn't a political leader but an activist. Since then, he has come a long way. In his close to 12-year-long rule, his old colleagues have either left him or have been sidelined. Those who addressed him ...